Academic English

Student Handbook 2019-20 .

How to use thishandbook

Your student handbook helps you to know who to ask your questions to

and how to get help. It provides you with important background

information about yourprogramme.

Please note that this handbook was completed in September 2019 and

information presented is correct at that date.

This handbook is available in a PDF format at: http://www.intouea.com/handbooks

Table of contents

1

Page

Academic calendar 2019-20 …………………………………………….. 2

Welcome from the Academic Director …………………………………………….. 3

Academic Support Team …………………………………………….. 4

Welcome from your Programme Manager …………………………………………….. 6

Course information …………………………………………….. 7

Assessment …………………………………………….. 13

Your first day …………………………………………….. 16

Student/teacher expectations …………………………………………….. 17

Study skills …………………………………………….. 18

Extenuating circumstances …………………………………………….. 19

Misconduct …………………………………………….. 21

General information

UEA e-mail …………………………………………….. 24

Student support and welfare …………………………………………….. 25

Attendance and engagement …………………………………………….. 26

Student representation …………………………………………….. 30

Equality and diversity …………………………………………….. 30

Complaints, concerns, academic

appeals and course withdrawals …………………………………………….. 31

2

Academic calendar 2019 - 2020

Course dates

Term 1

30 September– 13 December

Classes

14 December – 05 January Christmas break

Term 2

06 January – 20 March

Classes

21 March – 05 April Spring break

Term 3

06 April – 19 June

Classes

20 June – 05 July Summer break

Term 4

06 July – 18 September

Classes

19 September – 27 September Autumn break

3

Welcome from the Academic Director

Dear Student

Welcome to INTO University of East Anglia in the ‘Fine City’ of Norwich!

Congratulations on making it this far. We are delighted that you have chosen to

study with us.

From personal experience, I fully understand what it is like to spend time living and

working abroad, and I know that your first few weeks will be a mix of emotions.

However, Norwich is a great place to live and study and our dedicated Academic

and Welfare teams will soon ensure that you feel at home and very much part of our

INTO UEA family.

INTO UEA is one of the world’s most innovative centres of international education.

Your teachers are highly qualified with a wide range of experience in supporting the

development of international students, and the facilities within our centre and on the

wider campus are world class. I would urge you to engage with all these

opportunities to your advantage to help ensure that you follow in the footsteps of the

thousands of students who have progressed from INTO UEA to secure a wonderful

future for themselves and their families.

In order to share in this success, you will clearly need to manage your time

effectively and work hard both in and out of class. You will need to make your

studies your number one priority and ensure that all your work is completed on time

and to the best of your ability. You will work in partnership with your teachers, who

will support you at every stage of your learning journey, but do remember that it is

ultimately only you who can ensure your university success.

However, it is important to emphasise that studying at INTO UEA is not just about

your academic success. Equally important is your personal development and

wellbeing. You will make new lifelong friends from all over the world, revel in a

newfound freedom, join a range of clubs and societies, engage with the local

community and learn to take charge of your own future as you progress on to the

University.

Do enjoy your time with us and work hard. I look

forward to meeting you soon and wish you every

success!

Jeremy Moyle

Academic Director

4

Academic Support Team

Alex Rose – Academic Support Officer

“I help to make your timetables, prepare your reports and ultimately

send you your final results, so you will be hearing from me a lot

throughout your academic year at INTO UEA!”

Alex Rose – Academic Support Officer

“I help to make your timetables, prepare your reports and ultimately

send you your final results, so you will be hearing from me a lot

throughout your academic year at INTO UEA!”

At INTO UEA we pride ourselves on the student care we provide. In the main office behind

reception, there are many members of staff who are here to assist you with different areas of

your academic life at INTO. To contact anyone within the Academic Support Team (AST)

please e-mail ast@uea.ac.uk

Jessica Blythe – Academic Support Examinations Officer

“I am the Examinations Officer here at INTO UEA. I plan and

prepare all examinations across the centre, including IELTS.”

Natalia Ponomareva – Academic Support Manager

“I support your Programme Manager in presenting your final marks

at the Exam Board and I inform the university and your agent about

the final results.”

Thomas High – Academic Support Administrator “I will monitor your attendance while you are here at INTO

UEA. I will also create your timetables, register you for your

course and produce your reports and final transcripts.”

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Academic Support Team

Helena Martin – Academic Support Officer

Progression and University Placements

“My role involves supporting students who don’t progress

to UEA by way of offering alternative course suggestions

at other institutions. I run presentations for students in

need of help throughout the year, and I am also available

for one-to-one support.” To contact Helena, please

email: Helena.Martin@uea.ac.uk

Nilufar Rashidova, International Progressions Officer UEA

‘The Progressions team support academic students from

the moment they begin their INTO UEA journey. We

provide support through a series of workshops,

presentations and drop-in sessions to welcome you

to the University and introduce the wide range of

courses available at UEA. We help you make

informed choices about your academic future and will

guide you through the application process, from

personal statement writing, gaining an offer, through

to confirmation and enrolment.’

If you need to contact UEA Progressions Team you can email: Progressionsteam@uea.ac.uk . When e-mailing, please include your full name, INTO course and INTO number in your correspondence

6

Welcome from your Programme Manager

Welcome to the Academic English programme.

On behalf of the staff, I’d like to welcome you to INTO UEA and this wonderful

opportunity to study in Norwich.

Whether you are coming to the United Kingdom to study on a short course or to attend

a longer study programme, we want your stay here to be a valuable and gratifying

educational and cultural experience. For many of you, this will be your first time living

away from home in an unfamiliar country. We are here to make sure that your stay is

both enjoyable and productive. We will help you with everything from your safe arrival

to the successful completion of your course.

INTO UEA offers you the resources of a leading British university, including the highest

level of support for international students from highly qualified teaching and support staff,

who are here to help you take care of yourself and settle into your local community.

We look forward to working with you!

I wish you a happy and rewarding stay at INTO UEA.

Best wishes

Rosalind Boote

Programme Manager

7

Course information

Course Overview

Your Academic English (AE) course is designed to prepare you for entry to your chosen

Academic Pathway course (Foundation, International Year One, Graduate Diploma) or

direct entry to UEA. How many terms you study depends on the entry level of your

English language. AE is divided into 4 terms. Each term is 11 weeks long. Each week is

comprised of 30 hours of study.

Programme Aims

The aims of this programme are:

To help you achieve your score to progress to your next course;

To encourage independent learning using onlinetechnology;

To increase your confidence in the use of English language both in an academic

and social environment;

To introduce you to a variety of content specific material.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of your course you should:

Have the English language level required for intended academic study;

Have the skills to engage effectively in academic study within the UK;

Be able to participate effectively in academic and non-academic contexts using

the English language;

Be accustomed to using online technology independently for academic study.

Programme Structure

In order to achieve the learning outcomes, the programme is divided into five broad

language levels (1-5). The language levels reflect different CEFR band descriptors, and

a broad range of IELTS equivalents map on to these CEFR bands.

The programme is modular-based, with modules designed to suit the appropriate

language level. The Programme is also term-based, with four terms in one academic

year. A standard teaching week is broken down into 30 learning hours, 25 hours of

lessons plus an additional 5 hours of online guided study.

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Course information

Speaking Module

The speaking skills that you will practise on your course include:-

Agreeing/Disagreeing

Clarifying

Explaining

Giving opinions

Interacting

Interrupting

Justifying

Persuading

Suggesting

Turn taking

The speaking activities that you do in class are not the only way to practise your

speaking. You can use all the above skills in many of the other class activities you do,

such as comparing or checking answers to comprehension/grammar questions etc.

Take the opportunity to speak as much as possible.

The end of term assessment varies depending on your level.

Levels 1 – 4T will have an assessed seminar, which will involve having a discussion in a

group of three or four. It lasts about 30 minutes and is divided into three parts: a general

discussion, a longer discussion based on some written information and one or two

individual follow up questions. The written information for the longer discussion will

include 3 options which you and your group must discuss and then agree on the best

option. You will have time to prepare for this part using dictionaries and making notes.

You will be assessed on your English accuracy and fluency (grammar, vocabulary and

pronunciation) and also on your ability to interact with your group. You will be given the

topics a week before the exam so that you can prepare.

Levels 4 and 5 will give a presentation. This can be based on an element of your

summative essay or a topic of your choice (depending on the term). It should last about

10 minutes with about 5 minutes at the end for questions. You will be assessed on your

English accuracy and fluency (grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation) and also on your

visuals, the delivery and organisation of your presentation and ability to respond to

questions.

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Course information

Listening Module

Your studies on this course will include these listening skills:

Listening for global understanding

Listening for detail

Note taking

Predicting content

Recognising signpost language and transitions signals

Critical thinking

Dealing with unknown vocabulary

You will practise a variety of different question types such as:

Ordering information

Matching

Gap fill

True/False

Multiple choice

Table completion

Sentence completion

Summary completion

The end of term assessment will include different listening tasks. You will be asked to

answer questions from a variety of question types.

10

Course information

Reading Module

Your studies on this course will include these reading skills:

Skimming/scanning

Detailed reading

Predicting content

Critical thinking

Note taking

Dealing with unknown vocabulary

You will practise a variety of different question types such as:-

Matching (e.g. suitable headings for paragraphs)

Comprehension

o true/false/not given;

o multiple-choice, i.e. choosing answers

Summary or paraphrase completion, using words from the text (sometimes the

grammar may have to be changed)

Sentence completion using words from text

Matching paraphrases of given sentences from the text

Reference, i.e. stating what certain words in the text refer to

Gap fill

Vocabulary: matching definitions or finding a word in the text with a given

definition

Students at Levels 4 and 5 will also study Research skills, which will include evaluating

texts and identifying reliable sources.

The end of term assessment will include different reading tasks. You will be asked to

answer questions from a variety of question types.

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Course information

Writing Module

On this course, your studies will include these writing skills:

How to build a good paragraph

How to organise an essay

Writing introductions and conclusions

Different kinds of linking words

Different kinds of essays

How to reference your sources (Levels 3 – 5)

How to do research for essays (Levels 4 & 5)

You will do two kinds of writing:

Timed writing in class

Writing in your own time

Timed Writing: (all levels)

You will learn how to write different types of essays and have some practice in them

before doing a timed writing in class for each type of essay.

Types of essay:

Discussion essay – advantages / disadvantages

Opinion essay – agree or disagree

Problem / solutions essay

Compare and contrast

Looking at both points of view essay

Long Essay: (levels 1 – 4T)

This is a longer essay on a topic chosen by your teacher, and may be part of your final

writing grade (depending on progression). There are four stages to this type of essay:

Planning: analysing the title, brainstorming ideas, vocabulary building.

Pre-writing: sentence structure, reading, organising ideas.

Writing: introduction, topic sentences, body paragraphs, conclusion, in-text referencing.

Reviewing.

Long Essay: (levels 4 and 5)

This longer essay involves individual research on a particular title agreed on together by

the student and teacher. The writing practises referencing skills and leads to an

individual assessed presentation based on the research done for the writing.

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Course information

Topics for University Study

Topics for University Study will support you with preparing for your future related study.

You will build up some basic subject knowledge, understanding and vocabulary related to

different subjects.

Support Hour

This hour is for you to ask any questions you have about your course, study, self-study,

online study, homework you do not understand. You may not have a question every

week, in which case you can continue with your self-study research.

Self-Study

Your teachers will direct your self-study by setting you a task to do:

Direct you to a website in your study pack

Give you a task to complete in preparation for the following lesson

Reading for your long essay

Studying on an area of weakness

Whatever you do, you must record in your self-study pack.

Online Study

You will be expected to do 5 hours of online study per week. If your coursebook has an

online programme you will use that for your online study and your teacher will tell you

which parts you need to do.

There is a section in your independent pack where you need to record what you

have completed.

13

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment takes place during the last week of each term. You will receive your results

on the last day of the term in a tutorial with your class tutor.

You will be assessed in the four skills: writing, reading, listening and speaking. Details of

the assessment can be found in your course overview which is given out in class and

will be explained by your tutor. You will get exam practice in Week 6 of the course. You

will need to get the required scores at the end of term to progress to your next

programme.

The scores are reported in % not IELTS.

Please note that we do not offer resits on this course.

Assessment to Help You Develop and Progress

Assessment is an essential element of your learning process. You will learn both from

assessment activities and from the feedback you receive. It is designed to provide you

with a real, valuable learning experience. On your Academic English Programme,

formative assessment and assessed coursework will help you learn more effectively,

with feedback on performance and on how it can be improved and / or maintained.

Assessment Information

There are five types of assessment (tests/writing) on the AE course:

1. Regular Class Tests

These tests are for your class only.

They are to help you review particular grammar and vocabulary areas that you have

studied. This could be a short spelling test or a longer test to review a unit of a course

book.

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Assessment

2. Timed Essays

All AE students do 2 – 4 timed essays in class to practise the different types of essays

you study during the course. No dictionaries or translators can be used and you will

usually need to do an essay plan before you write. You will get a score for each essay

and written comments from your teacher to help you to improve your writing. The score

for each essay is written on your student record card.

3. Practice Tests – Week Six

All AE students do practice tests in academic reading, listening and speaking in week six

of the course. These tests are to give you experience in doing the types of tests you will

have at the end of the course. They are very different from IELTS tests and are given a

percentage (%). These scores are written on your student record card.

4. Long Essays

All AE students are required to write a longer essay throughout the term. Your teacher

will give you a title with chances to discuss the topic and get ideas in class. You will then

complete your essay in small manageable sections as part of a process – starting with

basic sentence writing, then paragraphs and so on. Your teacher will support and guide

you through the process and give you feedback.

5. End of Level Exams

All AE students are required to take these exams, usually in the final week of the course.

Your exam results are given to you in a final meeting with your teacher on the last day of

the course with advice / information on your next course of study.

15

Assessment

Assessment Overview

All students take the same examinations at the end of term.

Test Question Types

Writing Timed

Writing

Long Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages

Agree/Disagree

Problem/solution

Compare and contrast

Both points of view

Set by your teacher

Reading Gap fill

True/false

Summary/sentence completion

Matching/heading

Choosing the correct paraphrase

Multiple choice

Listening Note taking

Ordering of information

True/false

Table completion

Sentence completion

Summary completion

Matching

Gap fill

Multiple choice

Speaking Assessed Seminar (levels 1 – 4T) You will be given the topics a week before the exam

Discussing a task in groups of 3 or4

Language of: agreeing/disagreeing, giving

opinions, suggesting, clarifying, persuading

and explaining

Presentations (levels 4 and 5)

10 minutes for the presentation 5 minutes for

questions

16

Your first day

When you arrive in the centre, you will be given a timetable for the first two days – this is

called an Induction Timetable. These two days are important for you to receive all the

necessary information ready to start your life at INTO. You will have bank appointments,

police and health appointments and talks by various key INTO staff.

You will also have a quick English test. We use the results of this along with the IELTS

score you come in with to decide on the best class for you. The teachers will monitor you

closely during the first two weeks and may decide to move you to another class if

appropriate.

Your first day

Student / teacher expectations

17

Student/teacher expectations

You can expect your INTO teacher to:

Help you get used to the INTO Centre

Tell you the aims and content of your course

Explain how you will be tested

Give you personal advice about how your should learn

Tell you the progress you are making in regular tutorials

Talk about your study plans and

Listen to any problems you may have.

INTO teachers expect you to:

Arrive to class on time

Work with other students when asked

Be patient with students stronger or weaker than you

Prepare homework on time – your teacher may need it for the class!

Tell your teacher when you have or haven’t learnt something

Respect other students’ cultures

Use English both inside and outside of class

Tell the INTO Academic Support Team (AST@uea.ac.uk) if you are sick or

absent and

Attend 100% of your lessons.

You may find it useful to view our Student Charter, which explains what we expect of

you and what you can expect of us. It can be read at:

https://info.intouea.com/policies.shtml

Study skills

18

Study skills

What is expected of you at INTO and university:

An ability to work out how and where you learn best.

Independence.

Self-motivation.

An openness to working with others.

An ability to work things out for yourself.

An ability to organise your own time.

As well as attending classes each day, you are also expected to work hard on your own

at times during the day when you have no timetabled classes, as well as during the

evening and weekends.

Extenuating circumstances (coursework and exams)

19

Extenuating Circumstances

It is important that you attend all of your assessments (tests and exams) and submit

your coursework otherwise you will not be able to receive any marks for the assessed

component. The only exception is if you have an unavoidable situation that prevents you

from attending the original assessment. This is called ‘extenuating circumstances’.

If you are going to miss a coursework deadline, test or examination due to illness, then

arrangements to make up the work can only be made if the attendance policy has been

adhered to and your absence has been deemed authorised by AST and your

Programme Manager.

In such extenuating circumstances, you may be eligible for an extension on your

coursework or be granted another opportunity to complete a test or examination.

Circumstances that may be considered are:

If you have to go to hospital for a medical emergency.

Funeral of a close family member where you are expected to be involved in the

arrangements.

If you are ill on the day or your test or in the days leading up to the deadline.

Circumstances that will not be considered are:

Issues with your computer or printing. You should leave yourself enough time

before the deadline so that if you have a computer or printing problem you have

time to print elsewhere. You should always back up all of your work in case of

data loss.

Your friend had to go to hospital.

Funeral, graduation ceremony, wedding of a distant relative.

You did not understand the deadline or know the testdate.

You have other deadlines or assessments close together.

You feel a little bit unwell.

As soon as you know you are not going to be able to attend a test or meet an

assignment deadline, you must speak to your Programme Manager, teacher or AST.

You must fill out the ‘Extenuating Circumstances Affecting Study Report Form’, and get

it signed by the relevant tutor or your Programme Manager and then hand it in at

reception. Your case will then be considered by the Extenuating Circumstances Panel

and you will be notified of the result by AST. The form is available at:

https://info.intouea.com/forms.shtml

AST will require documentary evidence of any of these situations in order to

grant an extension or delayed assessment opportunity.

Extenuating circumstances (coursework and exams)

20

If you are ill or have an emergency, please try to attend your exams if possible but make

your Module Leader, Programme Manager or AST aware of the problem so it can be

taken into consideration. If you are too ill to attend the exam, you must let AST know

immediately, before the exam, and get a certificate from the Medical Centre stating that

you were too ill to attend.

Exam regulations:

You cannot leave the exam in the first 30 minutes.

You cannot enter the exam after the first 30 minutes.

If you need the toilet you must ask permission and fill out a form. You may be

accompanied by an invigilator.

You cannot leave the exam in the last 15 minutes.

Please be quiet when entering or leaving the room while the exam is inprogress.

You may not bring bags, hats, caps or coats to your seat with you. You must

leave them at the back of the room.

You may not bring in any mobile phones, mp3 players, smart watches or other

electronic devices. If you have them with you, you must switch them off (not just

silent) and leave them with the invigilator until the exam is complete.

You may not take books, notes or writing paper into the exam unless you have

been asked to.

There is no talking during the exam except to ask a question to the invigilator

(please raise your hand and wait for them to come to you).

You may not bring in correction tape, Tipp-Ex or other eraser materials.

You may not bring in pencil cases unless they are see-through.

Misconduct

21

Misconduct

Cheating is a serious offence. Cheating in an examination, course test or in a

coursework assessment is defined as an attempt to gain an advantage by unfair

means and includes (but is not limited to):

communication with another/others in an examination or course test

commissioning or otherwise allowing another person to pass

himself/herself off as the candidate

impersonating another candidate

possession of, access to and/or use of any unauthorised materials in

examinations and course tests such as, but not restricted to, notes, texts,

mobile telephones, visual or audio material

continuing to write in examinations and course tests after candidates have

been instructed to stop

Where there is reasonable suspicion of cheating in a course test or examination,

the Invigilator(s) may ask the candidate one or more of the following:

empty pockets of all contents and turn pockets inside out

remove outer items of clothing

pull back long hair to reveal ears and/or neck

roll up sleeves or trousers

remove socks and shoes.

For a full explanation of exam regulations, please visit:

https://info.intouea.com/policies.shtml

Both INTO and UEA have very strict rules about plagiarism, collusion and any other form of cheating. All assessed work (essays, practical reports, worksheets, tests, presentations, computer programs etc.) that you submit must be all your own work.

INTO must put a true value on your English, so:

Refuse any offers to ‘help’ you write your essay

Do not ask a friend or company to proof-read your work

Do not use grammar checking or translation programmes

Misconduct (plagiarism and collusion)

22

INTO UEA Policy on Plagiarism and Collusion

Both INTO and UEA have very strict rules about plagiarism, collusion and any other

form of cheating. All assessed work (essays, practical reports, worksheets, tests,

presentations, computer programmes etc.) that you submit must be all your own

work.

For the first part of your course, we will treat plagiarism as only a mistake. Your teacher

will talk to you about it; you may have to re-write something; the Plagiarism Officer may

meet you and make a record; you may have an extra writing session. But there will be

no punishment, and you will not lose marks.

For the second part of your course (the Academic Support Team will send you an e-mail

in good time), plagiarism could mean a formal meeting for you, with 5 days’ notice or

less at the end of your course. As evidence we will use a Turnitin report, or sources

found by your teacher, or a grammatical comparison with another example of your

writing, or other documents.

Plagiarism is presenting or submitting someone else’s work (words or ideas) intentionally

or unintentionally as one’s own, i.e. without acknowledgement;

Collusion is working with others in an unauthorised manner.

Plagiarism can take the following forms:

The reproduction, without acknowledgement, of work (including the work of

fellow students), published or unpublished, either verbatim or in close paraphrase. In

this context, the work of others includes material downloaded from computer files and

the internet, discussions in seminars, ideas, text and diagrams from lecture handouts.

Poor academic practice which is unintentional.

The reproduction, without acknowledgement, of a student’s own previously

submitted work.

Plagiarism can occur in ‘open-book’ examinations and/or coursework assessments,

which may take a variety of forms, including, but not exclusively confined to, essays,

reports, presentations, dissertations and projects.

Collusion is a form of plagiarism, involving unauthorised co-operation between at least

two people. Various forms of collaborative assessment undertaken in accordance with

published requirements do not fall under the heading of collusion; please see further

guidance on authorised collaboration in the “Guidance Note – Assessing Group Work”:

https://www.uea.ac.uk/learningandteaching/documents/assessment/G

uidanceNoteonGroupwork

Misconduct (plagiarism and collusion)

23

Collusion can take the following forms:

The conspiring by two or more students to produce a piece of work together with

the intention that at least one passes it off as his or her own work.

The submission by a student of the work of another student in circumstances where

the latter has willingly provided their work. In such cases, both students are guilty of

collusion.

Unauthorised co-operation between a student and another person in the

preparation and production of work which is presented as the student’s own.

The commissioning and submission of work as the student’s own, where the student has purchased a work and presented as the student’s own.

Obligations of students All students should be willing to sign a declaration on registration that the work

they are submitting during that academic year (coursework, projects, etc.) is their own

work.

Students are expected to familiarise themselves with, and make use of, the

method(s) of citing other people’s work in accordance with the appropriate conventions

in their discipline.

INTO’s advice on plagiarism

It is your job to know the rules about Plagiarism. Here are the main points:

Proofreading. This is not allowed at INTO. Do not ask anyone to proofread your

writing.

Timed Writing. There are regular tests of your writing in class.

First Drafts. Be sure you produce these as directed. Always keep a copy.

Assignments. All assignments, whether for content or language, must be written

in your own English.

Computer Software. Do not use translation programs, except for individual

words. These will be the translator’s words, not yours, so this is plagiarism.

Pasting Text. Do not paste text into your assignment with an acknowledgement

at the end. A sentence is allowable with “quotation marks” but you should do it only

once or twice (science students not at all).

The text that you write must be different from the text of your source, e.g. the

word order, and most of the words. Only a small percentage - names, two or three-

word specialist phrases (e.g. elasticity of demand), and scientific terms – can be

repeated unchanged.

The electronic copy of your work should be submitted when required.

It is always best, when you are not sure, to check with your teachers.

For a full explanation of the INTO UEA policy on plagiarism and collusion please visit: https://info.intouea.com/policies.shtml

General information – UEA e-mail and Blackboard

24

UEA e-mail account

E-mail is the main method of communication. Important information and official

University e-mails will be sent to your UEA e-mail account at http://webmail.uea.ac.uk.

You must check your UEA e-mail account on a regular basis, at least every 48 hours.

The expectation is that if a response is required from you that you will reply within

48 hours. For instructions and guidelines on changing your password, please read:

https://www.uea.ac.uk/password?mode=portal

Notices may be posted on INTO notice boards. For example, Exam Notice Board for

exam timetables, exam regulations, etc. In addition, messages may be posted on the

Student Information Point and on Blackboard – details are given below.

Blackboard

You are expected to access Blackboard – the online university learning environment.

Large amounts of study materials will be uploaded here which you should use as part of

your self-study. You will also use Blackboard to submit work.

More information about Blackboard can be found at http://www.uea.ac.uk/ltg/blackboard

It is very important that you are able to use both Blackboard and your UEA e-mail. If you

have trouble accessing either of these please e-mail ast@uea.ac.uk or come to

reception.

You should never tell anyone your password!

General information – student support and welfare

25

Student support services

Gal, Becky and Leila are your Social and Welfare Officers. They are here to support you

with any problems you have. If they can’t help you themselves, they will find the right

person to support you.

You can find them in the Courtyard Office between 08:00 and 21:00 from Monday

to Friday.

You can contact them by email on: into.life@uea.ac.uk

You can also contact them by telephone:

o Gal: 01603 597362

o Leila/Becky: 01603 597341

The 24 hour emergency phone number is: 07986 957047

UEA support services

Career Central for careers advice:

o Call: 01603 593452

o Email: career.central@uea.ac.uk

UEA Student Support Service:

o Call: 01603 592761

o Email: studentsupport@uea.ac.uk

For advice and advocacy, visit the Students’ Union at: http://www.ueastudent.com

General information – attendance and engagement

26

Attendance

This means being in all of your classes and lectures that are on your timetable, including being alert to and aware of any changes to your class time or room. It also means attending any other event prescribed by INTO UEA, such as advice and support sessions, or extra classes to help you.

If you are too ill to come to class you must e-mail Academic Support at ast@uea.ac.uk before you miss class, with your:

Name

Student number

Course group

Phone number

Room number/address and

Reason for absence. Gal, Becky or Leila, the Social and Welfare Officers, may contact you and offer help or advice.

Once you are back to classes you must come to reception and fill out Absence & Late Report Form. https://info.intouea.com/forms.shtml . Please note that this form does not mean your absence is authorised. Authorised absence (‘exceptional circumstances’) • Evidence of Police Registration • Evidence of initial visa and bank appointment • Evidence of GP / hospital appointment • Fit note If you have circumstances that are impacting your

academic performance or your ability to study you

must contact ast@uea.ac.uk to fill in the

‘Extenuating Circumstances Affecting Study

Report Form’

https://info.intouea.com/forms.shtml .

You are expected to attend 100% of your classes while you are at INTO.

General information – attendance and engagement

27

Unauthorised absence The following reasons are not acceptable reasons to miss class and will not be authorised:

Self-certified “low level” medical issues (e.g. headaches, period pains, colds,

sore throats, fever, oversleeping, tiredness)

Schengen visa appointments, bank appointments (excludes the 1st one

scheduled by the Student services)

Religious or family holidays and ceremonies

Medical conditions supported by practitioners of alternative medicine

If you miss class due to illness and do not provide evidence, it will be classified as ‘Self-certified Sickness’ and will not automatically be authorised. For us to consider whether your absence should be authorised, we require evidence - for example from a UK doctor, your Programme Manager or from Student Services. If you need to go to the Medical Centre due to illness, please try to arrange your appointment for outside of class time. If you are absent for more than five days in a row, you must have a medical certificate from the UEA Medical Centre or your absences will not be authorised.

If you know you will miss a class due to exceptional circumstances, you must contact ast@uea.ac.uk or your Programme Manager before you miss class or your absence will be unauthorised. Authorisation will be decided on a case-by-case basis. If you don’t tell us until after you have missed classes, your absence will not be authorised.

Your attendance will be continuously monitored during your time at INTO UEA

What happens if I have unauthorised absences? If your attendance in any given week is unacceptable, you will be notified. Attendance

warnings will be sent to your UEA e-mail address. If something has been sent to your UEA e-

mail, we will assume you have received it. All attendance records and warnings will carry over

to all terms that you study at INTO, even if you change your course.

If you miss ten consecutive lessons without informing us, you may automatically receive a

Level 2 or Level 3 attendance warning. This could result in a referral to the Senate Student

Disciplinary Committee (SSDC).

If you are marked absent for five days in a row without informing us*, INTO could report you

to the police.

If you are marked absent for ten days in a row, INTO will report you to the UK Immigration

Agency and your visa will be revoked. You will not receive any refund.

This applies even if you do not require a visa to study in the UK!

General information – attendance and engagement

28

Warning Levels

What to Expect

Level 0 You will receive a warning about your attendance.

Level 1 You will have a meeting with your Programme Manager, who will devise an action plan for you to follow.

Level 2 If the actions decided in the previous meeting have not been followed to the appropriate level, you will be asked to attend a second meeting.

Level 3 If your attendance still has not improved, you will be asked to attend a meeting with the Academic Director, who will decide whether to refer you to the UEA Student Senate Disciplinary Committee (SSDC).

Referral to the SSDC

The SSDC has the power to exclude any student whose attendance is deemed to be unsatisfactory without recourse to any refund. This means a student may be removed from their course and sent home.

*It is a legal requirement that we have your up-to-date contact details (phone number, address and e-mail). If we do not have your details or your information changes, you need to come to INTO reception and fill out a change of contact form.

General information – attendance and engagement

29

Punctuality

This means arriving and being ready for your classes to start at the scheduled time (usually

half past the hour). If you are regularly late to class then you are being disrespectful to your

teacher and classmates and affecting the learning of the other students in your class. If you

arrive to your class after the register has already been taken, you will be denied entry to class

and marked absent. If this happens, you must come to INTO UEA Reception and explain to

the Academic Support Team why you were late.

Engagement

This means being actively involved in every part of your studies, regularly contributing to

learning by asking questions in class as well as answering them, and working collaboratively

with other students when necessary. This involvement in learning must be clearly

demonstrated both in and outside of lessons and lectures. You must come prepared for your

lessons and lectures as advised by your teachers.

You must not use mobile phones, laptops and other digital devices in lessons unless their

appropriate use is authorized by the teacher.

Responsible behaviour INTO has rules to ensure that all students benefit from their time at the Centre and in the UK. These rules apply to behaviour in the INTO Centre, during activities organised by the Centre and in accommodation arranged by the Centre. All students are required to comply with the requirements on the following page when they join the course. The requirements only supplement and do not replace any other regulations of INTO. Withdrawal Meeting

In certain circumstances the Programme Manager or Academic Director may initiate a

withdrawal meeting and recommend that a student does not continue the programme. These

include:

Lack of academic progress

Poor attendance

Illness that prevents the student from getting full benefit from the programme

Unacceptable behaviour in class, in the Centre or in accommodation arranged by the

Centre

Failure to pay fees. For a full explanation of the UEA disciplinary policy and procedures relating to attendance, engagement and progress, please visit: https://portal.uea.ac.uk/academic-calendar/general-regulations

General information – student representation/equality and diversity

30

Student representation

The INTO Staff-Student Liaison Committee gives a voice to students at INTO UEA. It

provides a place where student representatives can meet with staff members to discuss

issues arising out of their studies and lives at INTO. The Committee is also an important

place where staff can keep students informed about changes to policies that might affect

their student experience. Each year two students from each intake (September and

January) of each programme will be elected by other students in their intake to represent

them on the Committee. The Staff-Student Sub-Committee is where the Programme

Manager will meet with the student representatives from their programme and their

deputies (also elected) to discuss issues of academic concern, such as teaching and

other matters impacting on the academic life of students on that programme.

Student evaluation of courses and modules

During your studies in INTO and after you may be invited to give feedback on your

experience of your course and your modules. Your feedback is important to us,

providing academic staff with student views. We strongly encourage you to complete all

questionnaires so that you can help us to review and improve our programmes.

Equality and diversity

INTO University of East Anglia is committed to ensuring and promoting good equality

and diversity practice. It means:

Ensuring that you are treated fairly and with respect

Acknowledging people’s differences and individuality

Providing equal opportunities to all students with no discrimination on the grounds of

political opinion, age, colour, disability, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status,

race, religion or sexual orientation

Celebrating cultural diversity

Supporting individual and group needs and

Having zero tolerance for any act of unfair discrimination and harassment.

For further information, please visit the pages of the Equality and Diversity Office:

http://www.uea.ac.uk/equality

If you would like to act as a student representative, you need to inform your

Personal tutor at the beginning of first term, who will pass the request over

to your Programme Manager.

General information – complaints, academic appeals

31

Complaints and concerns

We want you to enjoy your time at INTO and be successful in your studies. Therefore, if

you have a concern or complaint regarding your studies, or anything involving finance,

accommodation, or aspects of student life, please follow the steps below:

In the first instance, please raise the concern with your Personal Tutor. If this is

not appropriate or possible, please speak to your Programme Manager. If the

complaint is serious then put the complaint in writing to your Programme

Manager. They will meet you and try to help you resolve your concern. They may

pass your concern on to the relevant person if the concern is non-academic.

If, after this, you remain concerned then put the complaint in writing to the

Academic Director, Jeremy Moyle.

If you find it difficult to communicate clearly in English, please contact the Student

Services Manager, Bob Parsons. Bob will try to arrange for a translator to help you.

For details of the INTO UEA Complaints Procedure please visit:

https://portal.uea.ac.uk/partnerships-office/handbooks

Academic appeals

The Academic Appeals Procedure allows INTO UEA students to formally raise concerns

about their academic results or circumstances relating to them.

For details of the INTO UEA Academic Appeals Procedure please visit:

https://portal.uea.ac.uk/partnerships-office/handbooks

Your studies/results will not be affected if you raise a concern or complaint with us.